Sorting-case.



H. L. SMITH.

SORTING CASE.

APPL1cAT1oN-F1LED DEC. 20. 191s.

11.2115511914@ Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

' 15 .l/ily 5m my n l@ y uw@ C] Hotham HENRY L. SMITH, OF` PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

sonTING-casn.

Application meeneeemberao, 191e.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY L. Sari'rina citizen of theV United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sorting-Cases, of which the following is a specification. i

The object of this invention is to provide a sorting case which is particularly adaptable to the use of letter carriers.

Another object is to provide in such a case v sets of suspended members operative to serveas partitions between adjacent spaces into which pieces of mail can be readily inserted, said members being adjustable longitudinally of the respective shelves of the device.

Another object is to provide shelves which can be shifted toward or away from the front of the case, and means to temporarily lock them in one position, said shifting of the shelves being for the purpose of releasing the pieces of mail from the intervening partitions. V

Still another object is to provide a novel form of removable adjustable partition, formed of one piece and designed to carry a label designating the locality for which mail in the space next thereto is intended.

Still further objects and advantages of the present device are fully brought out in the following specification, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the preferred form of the device; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-,2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the partitions; and Fig. 4, is a detail elevational viewV of the type of partition used with a label and holder therefor secured thereto.

Referring to the drawings, a casing is shown as comprising vertical sides 1, top and bottom walls 2 and 3, respectively, and a back 4, said casing being adapted to stand upon legs 5, or directly upon a desk, table, or other supporting member, as desired.

Secured to the inner sides of the walls 1 are a series of brackets 6, provided with integral, horizontally extending anges 7, turned upwardly at the front to provide latch lugs 8, and at the rear to provide stops 9. Slidably mounted upon the said brackets are members 10, which are directed upwardly and thence toward the center of the case,

j ,Y Specification of Letters Patent.

4through which pass rods at their ends ter acts as Serial No. 137,942.

said centrally directed portions being bent downwardly at the front and rear and thence folded together, to surround, grip and support the adjacent end portion of a shelf 11.

Secured to the under side of each of the shelf members are a series of brackets 12, spaced rods 13, said being secured to the brackets 10, and slidably supporting the adjustable partitions lll. Also secured to the brackets l0 are latch members 15, mounted on pivots 16 and partially surrounding the front rod 13, said latches being thereby prevented from dropping into a vertical position, said latches engaging the lugs 8, when the shelves are in their forwardmost positions, as shown in Fig. 2.

The partitions 14 are preferably made of metal as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and are punched out near the top to form ears 17, which comprise a laterally extending portion and a reversely bent section, which lata stop for the purpose of maintaining the partition adjacent thereto in constantly spaced relation therefrom, and for carrying numbers of houses and the like. Said partition is further provided with J shaped apertures 18, through the closed end 19 of which normally pass the rods 13 when the member is in operative position, from which it can be easily removed by raising, shifting forwardly, and then lowering. To the ears 17 of as many of the said partitions Vas may be desired are removably or permanently secured label holders 20, into which labels bearing suitable indicia may be inserted as may be desired.

In the operation of this device, the respective shelves are placed in their forward positions, and the partitions arranged as de sired in number and position, after which mail, or the like, 21 is inserted between the latter until all is distributed. Then the Shelves are shifted rearwardly progressing from the top downwardly, thus removing the partitions from between the mail units, as the latter are prevented from going backward by the lianges 22 of the shelves next below.

en in this position, the shelves and partitions offer no restraint to the ready removal of the mail pieces, after which they are placed in the usual bag, or other carrying device.

Having thus described my invention,

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.-

what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is l. A sorting oase comprising a rest provided with a rear stop, a series oi partitions 5l adjustable longitudinally of the said rest, ,l means for removably supporting said par- 2 titions, said means being shiftable fori wardly and` rearwardly or' said rest, and means to releasably maintain said iirst 10 means in one eXtreme position.

2. A sorting case, comprising a platform provided with a rear stop, a series of partitions adjustable longitudinally of the said platform and separate therefrom, means for i5 removably supporting said partitions, said copies, ot this.- patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the @pminissionerior Patents, i

Vmeans, being sbiftable forwardly `and rear- Wardly of said platform, and latoh means to removably secure said iirst means in forward position. Y

3, A sorting oase, comprising a rest, a support above and shiftable forwardly and rearwardly of pendently removable partitions suspended fromV said supportand movable independently longitudinally of said rest, and latch means to removably secure said support in one eXtremeY position;

In testimony whereof I have affixed .myf

signature.

HENRY L. SMITH.

Washington, D. G.

said rest, a seriesuof inde-v 

